 The U.S. had to rapidly increase war production after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Roosevelt believed that government and business had to work together.

 The government agreed to pay a company whatever it cost to make a product plus a guaranteed percentage of the cost as profit.  Under this plan, the more a company produced and the faster they did it, the more money it would make.  It convinced many companies to convert to war production.

 The automobile industry was uniquely suited to mass produce military equipment.  Automobile factories began producing trucks, jeeps, and tanks.  They also produced artillery, rifles, mines, helmets, pontoon bridges, and a lot more.  Henry Ford created the assembly line that produced the B-24 bomber.

 Henry Kaiser applied construction techniques to shipbuilding.  Parts were pre-fabricated and taken to the shipyard to build the ships.  Liberty basic cargo ships that were welded not riveted.  The first Liberty ship took 244 days to build, while subsequent ships only took 41 days.

 To prioritize the governments orders and reduce confusion, Roosevelt created the War Industries Board.  Set priorities and production goals.  Controlled the distribution of raw materials and supplies.

 September 1940, the Selective Service Act was passed – the first peacetime draft  In the month after Pearl Harbor, more than 60, 000 men enlisted (volunteered)

 African-Americans were segregated into their own military units.  They trained separately, had separate barracks, separate mess halls, latrines, etc.  Double-V – double victory – win the the war over Hitler’s racism and racism at home  Tuskegee Airmen – All black Air Force unit

 Women first allowed into the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1941  1942 – the Army established the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) – women became part of the regular army – non-combat  Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS) flew more than 12,000 deliveries of planes to the front  The Coast Guard, Navy, and Marines soon added women’s units.